Thursday 11 July 2013

Day 2: Yes yes it's RamadaM, get over it!

Ramadan is ahead full steam, I am not, I am more like an old locomotive running out of coal but who keeps going on pure motion power.
My only problem with fasting is the non-stop yawning at my desk; I could sleep at any time.  I could actually close my eyes at my desk and fall asleep. The smell of coffee literally hurts me, anything else I don’t mind.

At work, you don’t talk about it; you don’t complain (we all do) openly about it, you’ll yawn openly and noisily though.
You don’t mention it’s Ramadan or that you’re fasting, you strive to keep it private, not let it be used against you in a situation where you’d hear the usual “you’re not focused”, or “you don’t have any energy”, or “bound to happen, you’re not eating” even on the smallest most common mistakes, you want to prove that fasting really doesn’t  affect your mental or physical abilities, that it doesn’t to a certain extent or time of day where your face has turned green and you could paper-cut with your tongue, that you are in fact Robocop.

A few comments that come back a lot like a bad smell, to count a few:  “not even water?”, “so, did you stuff your face last night?” and again “you can’t even drink water?”, “so only air then? And my favourite “oh jesus, is it RamdaM again?”

People seem to be concerned, about something, about you, about the job perhaps, or about witnessing a fast, some feel uncomfortable, others prefer not to know, either way, you are different and they don’t understand why you would willingly inflict that on yourself.
It plays as your cue to wake up, prove them wrong, be energetic and a little hypocritical.
Isn’t Ramadan hard enough as it is, without having a bunch of ignoramuses coming back with the same questions over and over again, you’re always reassuring them that the answers are the same from last year and no you are not moody because you aren’t eating, you’re moody because they’re being stupid. The end.

Dz-chick…no assumption, no consumption!*
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*lame I know!

13 comments:

  1. I know many people who are moody because they are not eating!

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  2. Anonymous smart ass ;)

    El Aswed Saha Ftourek :)
    No I don't let them or anyone get to me, it still early days, when we get to the double figures, I can start to unleash hell on them and blame it on Ramadam!

    Homo Erectus There's a girl at work who observes Shabat, it's funny nobody makes a single comment about it. But I did :D and loved it! I was like "Shabat? Wasn't that last Saturdy??" Mwahaha

    Bella Vita exactly!! That's what I say to them everyone they say oh your're moody becaus you're fasting, I am like "really? What was my excuse before?" Ha!!

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  3. @El Asweed it's not the ignorant "kouffar" that get the chick down, it's the damn RamadaM itself ;-) The speech marks give a sarcastic tone to the term 'kouffar', thank goodness! I loathe this bigoted idiom, so self-righteous and condescending of those using it!

    @Dz Chick, your lack of energy did come through, many say the second day is actually harder than the 1st one. Courage dear only 28 days to go (make that 22 or so). 'You could paper-cut with your tongue' ouch that sounds highly dangerous, thankfully some things are prohibited during the fasting period! ;-)

    Respect to you all for observing it!

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  4. Miss Polimique way to give a back handed compliment! My energy levels were quite alright I assure you
    It was just a story for emphasis!

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  5. I liked your story, it made me smile! ;-)

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  6. Well DZ, what is left is to declare UK an islamic state and you will have all the freedom to express yourself openly about Ramadan :)

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  7. BadraSid I don't need to live in a Londonistan! I don't need to talk about Ramadan or my religion, I don't do it anywhere and I don't need to feel allowed to! Religion is a private relationship between yourself and God! That's how I see it!

    Besides, I ways have this blog and you guys to rant with ;)

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  8. Well dz bella lets be frankly with our selfs, I think we are better off fasting here, dealing with small issues than dealing with miserable and angry people back home they think they are the only ones who fast.
    and the smell of coffee is killing me too ;)
    have a good day!
    ciao bella
    M

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  9. I don't remember what fasting in Algeria is like! I was quite young, the only memory I have is that it was super hot and I wanted to drink so badly.
    What's funny is that the more prople feel watched and oohs yes to observe the fast as is the case in Algeria, the more some of then rebel, eat in public or just break it!
    We experience the opposite, you are obviously free not to observe it, but the fact that most people keep it in spite of having no visible obligation to, is what makes it special. You are doing it willingly and knowingly. I find it amazing.

    Kahwaaaaaa......

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  10. A picture is worth a thousand words

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/969155_489093437843313_1113441060_n.jpg

    :D

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  11. Ha ha that's what my kitchen looked like this morning...from last night! Except for the cheese grater! I don't own one of those, not that domesticated!

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  12. ma_tenssache

    Hey Dz chick, bon courage with Ramadan at work. This is my 6th year fasting at work and I always have funny coments, I would like to share with you some of them:

    My chinese colleague discovered 5 days ago what Ramadhan was.
    Today she was complaining that it would be a torture for her to fast without drinking a WHOLE day, she was complaining everytime she saw me in the office. "Awww it must be so hard to practice"
    Then I finally told her, how can you people talk about something you've never experienced? If you try once in your life you will see that a human body can adapt to anything... plus you don't feel hungry in ramadhan, you feel bored, you feel alone, you feel tired sometimes and NO you don't think about eating all the time. She finally said you are right I should try one day...

    my german colleague interrogatory:
    Are you fasting?
    me: hmm not today.
    her: and tomorrow?
    me: hmm yes
    her: ho but how are you going to do with the department's breakfast ?
    me: ... don't worry it is ok...
    Maybe she thought that I will cry in front of the croissants and jus d'orange at 8am like a starving child...

    my turkish boss:
    We scheduled a lunch for the farewell of our assistant on 26th, put it in your agenda and find us a good restaurant!
    ...



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  13. Ma_tenssache you made it ;)
    A colleague called me today at work, and she said "oh you sound tired, is it Ramadan?", I sounded exactly the same as I do everyday, mildly irritated, so I said no it's the heat. She ate her words!

    Mind you damn business! people who don't fast, we don't need you to mention Ramadan, not out of support or whatever, just treat us as per normal. The end.

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